Monday, May 01, 2006

Welcome to Changebangladesh community blog

We welcome everyone to our changebangladesh organism. We call it an organism since our aim is to organically and sustainably grow to be one of many effective pressure groups to knock some sense onto our political leadership. It is not an organization yet. You can help us become one. Send us emails with your ideas to info@changebangladesh.com
We recently received some exposure from the alternative press. We encouraged everyone with blogs and other web outlets to link to us.

A lot is planned this year in our programs. Our "HaterModheJoggoPrathe" tool where each candidates five components stands for the five fingers of the hand.The five components are :

a. Biographical information
b. Campaign finance
c. Issue positions
d. Voting records in Sangsad
e. Public statements

The thumb stands for the candidates Biographical information, the thinking is its the 'fattest part of the equation' his psychological, personal and educational development. The index finger stands for campaign finance, the crux of human evolution to form the pinch and in contemporary Bangladesh politics, because of black-money and corruption, the Pinch is the ethical dimension that will make us in Bangladesh become effective "human" leader again.The peoples' "fist" is the people's power. This is all memory aid for the voter. We have borrowed these concepts from evolutionary biology and Brac. It is in a sad attemt to dumb down for all voters, ways to remember in that voting both what they should vote on, what they should consider for its country's next leadership. These crude examples obviously needs to be developed further but this can be a start. The inspiration of Brac oral rehydration program where famously their "pinch of salt, ak mot gur and ak litre pani makes for good saline "You are welcome to develop our programs, send us an email and let us know you are interested. They all involve producing substantive public policy debate instead of mindless heckling and uninformed political partisan rhetoric.
We really are not against the two parties. We believe the two big parties , AL and BNP among others should reform into leadership organizations and they must encourage a playing field where only substantive people with expertise join their ranks. We believe their student leaders do not belong on the streets. They must be nurtured back into the classroom, the labrotary and research conventions. They are the future leaders of the country. A leader cannot do what he does not know. We must nurture away from all violence, negative confrontation for the next generation. We have to stop shooting at our foot. All implications of what is the result is well ducumented.
The utilization of black money and muscle power is by no account helping the people at large. This is also harmful for the politicians themselves. We want to believe that politicians will have the best interest of the people at heart. They will be the gatekeepers of ethics in a land as ancient as ancient itself. Our 3000 long history speaks to our determination to exist and survive as an ethnic group. Contemporary politics does not speak to our golden sage heritage. We must rediscover our ancient traditions and adapt to modernity all that applies. We can do this. Think now together so we can act organically as a whole in december 2006 at the Probashi conference hosted by Center for Policy dialogue.

Together we can have "HaterModheJoggoPrathe"

2 comments:

Fugstar said...

This is a good idea. this kind of effort might be received better though, if rather than a shopping list of issues, a more succinct and organised care was produced. Also it is a very urban, net connected

Change in our political culture, i think, will mirror our own. It is interesting that you say politicians are the gate keepers of ethics in our land. yes, they can be examples.. but I thought that they were the scholars of akhlaq and adab?!? gatekeeper implies knowledge and wisdom.

Good luck, the less partisan and more reflective of the aspirations of mainstream deshis this is, the better.

Personally i would like to see more parties with significant power emerge in desh these elections. Will you give much time/space in your study to them as well as the independants.

sorry to go on about this, but how effective is the internet as amedium for this? I guess we will see how it goes.

changebangladesh said...

Thanks for the comments.Yes we would love to see that too but to see the change we need to be the change our self.

Thanks
CBD